2024 onion growing challenges

The 2024 UK onion trial season has been marked by challenging weather conditions that have tested the resilience of onion growers. Despite these hurdles, the trials have yielded promising results, providing key insights into best practices and areas for improvement, while offering hope for better outcomes in future seasons.

Difficult conditions

The season began with prolonged wet weather, severely limiting the number of workable days for field operations. For many growers, this meant planting on soils that were not ideal for drilling, creating setbacks in crop establishment and root development. The optimal drilling window—from February to mid-March—was critical for both red and brown drilled onions in these trials, but time pressures and reduced working days forced some operations to proceed under less-than-ideal conditions.

Yield success amid operational challenges

Despite the operational setbacks and adverse weather, the trials achieved a notable 3.6% increase in yield compared to standard practices. This result highlights the resilience and ingenuity of the growers, who were able to produce better yields even under suboptimal conditions.

Key insights from the 2024 UK trials

The trials provide important lessons for onion cultivation:

Timing is critical: The optimal drilling window (February to mid-March) is essential for maximising yield, even in challenging weather conditions.
Adaptability to weather: Growers must remain flexible and be ready to adjust operations when wet seasons and unpredictable weather limit workable days and soil conditions.
Resilience pays off: The success of these trials, despite a difficult start, emphasises the importance of persistence and collaboration in overcoming obstacles.

Netherlands trials

In the Zeeland district of the Netherlands, trials using Maxstim’s complex biostimulants are underway to boost the growth and yield of onions, showcasing the potential for these products to help growers adapt to unpredictable conditions. The trials were being conducted by The Institute (De Rusthoeven Delphy) on behalf of a large onion-growing company and at a research station. Both trials have control plots and Maxstim-treated plots for comparison.
The first trial faced a delay, with planting pushed to May 2nd due to spring weather conditions. However, the application of Maxstim biostimulants showed impressive results:

Treatment Protocol:

At planting: 2.5L Maxstim Agriculture+ and 1L Cynosa were applied.
At the 3-leaf stage: A second application of 10L Maxstim Agriculture+ and 2L Cynosa was applied.
Follow-up treatments: Three additional applications of 5L Maxstim Agriculture+ and 1L Cynosa were administered throughout the growing season.

Control vs Maxstim-treated crop: results and observations

The difference between the treated and untreated plants became clear as the season progressed. Despite being conducted in different locations, both trials exhibited consistent and noticeable advantages for the treated onions:

Leaf growth: Treated onions produced longer, larger leaves, which increased their photosynthetic capacity and overall plant vitality.
Root development: The treated plants developed slightly longer and more abundant roots, improving nutrient uptake and stability.
Bulb size and consistency: One of the most significant outcomes was the emergence of larger and more consistent onion bulbs, which are crucial for commercial onion farming.

These promising results demonstrate the potential of using Maxstim’s complex biostimulants to overcome challenges like late planting. The enhanced leaf growth, root development, and bulb size observed in the treated plants suggest that these practices could lead to higher yields and better-quality produce, offering a significant advantage to farmers navigating unpredictable weather.

Looking ahead

The 2024 UK onion trials, along with the promising results from the trials in the Netherlands, highlight both the challenges and opportunities faced by growers in an era of unpredictable weather. With a modest yet significant yield increase achieved in the UK trials and the encouraging results from the Zeeland district trials, these developments show that resilience, adaptability, and innovation are essential for overcoming obstacles and improving future outcomes. As growers embrace these strategies and products, they will be better equipped to navigate future seasons and improve both yields and quality.